File or rasp



June 6, 1961 G. CIVITELLI ET AL FILE OR RASP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed y 12, 1958 E n n x \w GENNARO CIVITELLI HARRY L GORDON ATTORNEY June 6, 1961 G. ClVlTELLl ET AL FILE OR RASP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 12, 1958 United States Patent O 2,986,800 FILE R RASP Gennaro Civitelli, 36 Bradley Ave., Hamden, Conn., and Harry L. Gordon, Mason St., Derby, Conn. Filed May 12,1958, Ser. No. 734,523 10 Claims. (CI. 29-79) This invention relates to files or rasps and more particularly to a device of the character in which the rasp is formed by a plurality of blades, such as hacksaw blades, for example, secured together in abutting side-by-side relation in a frame. In some respects the device is similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,738,568, the present construction being an improvement in many respects over that shown in the patent.

In the use of a file or rasp, particularly upon soft metals or woods, it is necessary to clean the file from time to time as the filings from the work will remain in the furrows of the file and clog the file, thus rendering it inefiicient or ineffective. Also, as is well known, the teeth or ridges of a file usually are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tool, and it is true that the inclination of the ridges should be in one direction for a user who is right handed and in the opposite direction for a user who is left handed.

Also in some instances it is desirable to use a flat file while in other situations a half-round or convex filing surface is desirable.

It is contemplated by the present invention to provide a construction wherein the file may be constructed from a plurality of hacksaw blades, for example, and these blades so mounted that they may be moved relatively to each other so as to adjust the teeth of the tool for employment by either a rightor left-handed user. Also the blades are so controlled and adjusted that they may be moved relatively to each other through a considerable distance and may be manipulated with great ease and convenience, and the moving of each blade relatively to its adjacent blade will effectively clean the filings from between the blades so that a device will always be usable without the usual delay required for cleaning.

Furthermore the device may be readily adapted to be arranged so that the working edges of the blades lie in one plane to produce a flat file or in different planes to produce a file with a rounded or convex working surface.

One object of the present invention isto provide a new and improved file or rasp which is simple in structure, economical to manufacture, and which will have many advantages over such devices as have been proposed in the past.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a tool of the character described wherein the file is formed from a plurality of blades having teeth upon one of their edges, the blades being securely held flatly together and movable relatively to each other.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a file or rasp of the character described wherein the blades of which the working portion of the tool is composed may be very readily and easily, by the turn of a dial, adjusted one relatively to the other without disassembling of the parts of the tool in order to provide an instrument which may be used by either a rightor left-handed person and wherein the Working surface of the tool may be adjusted for fine or coarse Work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described wherein the teeth of the blades of which the working portion of the tool is composed may be easily kept in clean condition so that the tool is at all times ready for use.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a file or rasp of the character described wherein the working face of the tool may be either flat or of ctu'ved contour.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a file or rasp em bodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG 2;

FIG. 5 is a view generally similar to FIG. 2 but show ing the parts in another position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of a modified form of my invention, some parts being broken away;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a further modification of my invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of the modified form of tool illustrated in FIG. 7, some parts being shown in elevation; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on line 99 of FIG. 7.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown a file or rasp comprising a body member 10 of channelor U-shaped form in cross section, this member comprising an upper plate 11 and side walls 12 and 13. The body member 10 is secured by screws 14 to the underface of a handle member 15, and secured to the handle member 15 by a screw 16 is a grip or hand piece 17.

It may be noted that the grip may, when the screw 16 is loosened, be rotated about the axis of the screw so as to stand in a position at right angles to that shown, if desired. For this purpose the junction of the grip member 17 joins the adjacent surface of the handle 15 along an inclined plane 18 and is provided with a tenon 19 received in a socket 20 in the handle member. The handle member 15 may be provided with side flanges 21 and 22 embracing the side walls 12 and 13 of the body member.

Adjacent the forward end of the body member is a finger grip 23 secured to the body member by screws 24, this finger grip being provided with a fiat tongue 25 spaced from the body thereof which, as shown more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 3, extends into the space between the walls of the channel member 10. An L- shaped bracket 26 is secured to the handle member 15 adjacent its rear end and the longer arm 27 of this bracket extends into the space between the flanges 21 and 22 so as to oppose and lie opposite the member 25, as shown in FIG. 3.

A plurality of blades 28 are mounted in side-by-side relation and in close juxtaposition within the body member 10, the blades extending rearwardly to lie below the lower face of the handle member 15 so that the upperedges of the blades will be supported by the lower sur-- face of the upper plate 11 of the body 10 and the lower surface of the handle member 15. It will be understood. that the blades fit snugly between the walls 12 and 13 of the body member and between the flanges 21 and 22 rearwardly of the body member.

Each of the blades is provided with a slot 29 adjacent its forward end and with a slot 30 adjacent its rear end, these slots opening through the end edges of the blades so as to receive respectively the members 25 and 27 to hold the blades securely in place but at the same time to permit movement of the blades longitudinally of the too As shown more especially in FIGS. 1 and 3, the handle member 15 is provided with a circular recess 31, and within this recess is rotatably mounted a dial mem essence.

3 ber 32, which dial member has a hub 33 received in a countersunk portion 34 of the handle. A screw 35 which passes through a lock nut 36..holds the dial in place but permits rotation-of. the. dial by means ofthe knurled side face 37 thereof (FIG. 1). The handle member. 15. is recessed. at opposite sides, as shown at 38, so. as to. permit the fingers of the. user; to engage the knurled face of the dial and rotate it.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 3,; each of the blades 28 is provided with a recess 39 in its upper face and an upwardly projecting lug 40 is. formedatan intermediate portion of. this recess. This lug is received in a transverse recess 4-1 inthe underfaceofthe dial memher. so that, upon turning. ofthe dial, the. blades will be moved longitudinally of the handle.

It will be apparent that the blades will be locked in position between the side walls 12 and 130i the body member, 10' by the'engagement of the members 25. and 27 in the-slots 29and'30; The slots. are of. sufiicient depth to permit movement of the blades longitudinally of the device by the rotation of the dial. When; the device is tobe used, the-dial.32 is-rotatedzabout the axis of the hub 34 so as to: pOSliiOIl.th6lB[h30f.th6 blades. at the proper angle to the longitudinalzaxisof' the tool. For a right-handed user this; would probably be the positionshown in FIG; 2 butthe-angle of inclination of the testhof the blades with-respect to'the longitudinalaxis of'the tool maybe varied-as desired; The lock nut 36 is; then tightened to prevent rotationof the'dialandthe device is ready. for use.

When it is desiredto clean the teeth of the file, the lock nut 36 is loosened: and the dial 32'is'rotated from the position shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. 5. This reverses the angle of inclination of the teeth with respect to the longitudinal axis of'the tool and moves each blade relatively to the adjacentblade so that the filings will be loosenedby the shearing action of one blade against the other and fall from the teeth of the blades, thus effecting quick and etlicient cleaning of the tool.

If' the file is to be used bya left-handed person, the dial may be originally set in the position shown in FIG'. or, if desired, it may be set intermediate the position shown in FIGS. 4-and 5 wherein the teeth of adjacent blades will lie along a line transverse to theaxis of the tool. Moreover, moving the teeth to andfrom a position in. which they are transverse to the axis of thetool' will affect the bite-and will vaiy the depth of cut or the coarseness of the work performed.

It is sometimes desired that the ridges of a file (the teeth of the blades in the present instance) be disposed arcuately instead of in a straight line. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings wherein the tool is constructed as previously described except that the dial 32 is provided with an arcuate slot or recess 41 in its underface to receive the projections 40' of the blades. It will be understood that in this instance the blades are made as previously described but the provision of the slot 41 of arcuate shape will cause the teeth of the blades to be arranged along arcuate or curved lines in a direction transversely of the axis of the tool.

in some instances it is desirable that a file or rasp with a convex surface be employed, and in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings is-shown a modified form of the invention in which the teeth of the blades, instead of lying in a plane, will lie in a surface of arcuate form in cross section. To this end a body member 10 together with the handle and grip member 17 are provided as previously described. The member 10 is of inverted channel-shape form, as in FIGS. 1 to 5, and within this member is an insert 45 of concave-convex form in transverse cross section, the convex suface facing downwardly or toward the open end of the channel of the body memher;

The blades 28 are of the same form as previously 4 described and are provided with the slots 29 and 30 and the upwardly projecting lugs 40 disposed in an intermediate portion of the recess 39.

A finger piece 23 is secured to the member 10 and formed as a part of the finger. piece is the inwardly projecting member 25 whichinthis. instance is of arcuate form in crosssection. Likewise the member 27 constituting the-horizontal-portion of the L-shaped bracket 26 is also of arcuateform-sothat the members 25 and 27 lying within the slots 29 and 30 will hold the blades in such. a. position that the teeth thereof lie in a convex surface. as indicated at. 46 in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Rotatably mounted inthe handle portion 15 is the dial 47, thisdialbeing mounted similarly to the dial 32 previously described. Thelower surface of the dial 47 is, however, dome-shaped as shown more especially at 48 in FIG. 8 was to fit within the upper concave surface formed by the upper edges of the blades. 28. This domeshaped. surface is provided with a recess 49 within which are. received the upwardly projectinglugs 40 onthe blade asshownin FIG. 8.

Withthis construction it.will be apparent that the dial 47 may berotated as before when the. lock nut 36 is backed 0E so that theblades may be. moved relatively to each other, as previously explained in connection with the form of .our invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. This will effectively clean the blades and also will.change the direction of the teeth thereof. with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tool as before. The teeth of the blades will, however, lie. inthe convex surface shown, the upper edges of the blades being supported against the backing,

member. 45.

Similarly the blades. may be so: arranged. that the rounded contouris outwardly concave instead of outwardly convex.. In this event themembers 25 and 27 would be curved inthe direction opposite that shown in FIG. 9 and the backing member 45 would also be reversed so that its convex surface would be toward the plate 11 of the body member. Thus a. tool having a working surface of concave contour could be provided as wellas one having a working surface of convex contour.

While we have shown and described some embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of .the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of theclaims.

What we claim is:

1. An abrasive tool. comprising a frame member, a.

plurality of longitudinally extending toothed blades held flatly together in said member. for relative longitudinal movement, and means for moving each of said blades in a longitudinal directionto adjust its position relatively to the adjacent blades, said means comprising amember rotatably mountedin theframeon an axis transverse to the longitudinalaxis of .the.tool,.said member having one surface thereof disposed adjacent an edge of each of the blades and a recessin said surface, each blade having a projection thereon. engaged in said recess and means for securing said-member against movement to hold the blades in their adjustedaposition during use of the tool.

2. An abrasive tool.comprising a frame member, a plurality of longitudinally extending. blades held flatly together therein,..said blades being serrated along one edge thereof, which edge-projects from the frame, means securing said blades. to. the frame for longitudinal movement with respect thereto .andrelatively to. each other, and means for effecting relativev longitudinal adjustment of the bladeswith respect. to each other, said means comprising a. dial member rotatably mounted. in the frame having; a faceportionoverlying the nonserrated edges of the blades, a recess in saidface. portion, each of the blades having a projection received. in said recess, and means for securing said dialmembenin various rotative positions to hold'the blades .fixedly. in adjustedposition during use" ofthe tool.

3. An abrasive tool comprising a frame member, a plurality of longitudinally extending blades held flatly together therein, said blades being serrated along one edge thereof, which edge projects from the frame, means securing said blades to the frame for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and relatively to each other, and means for effecting relative longitudinal adjustment of the blades with respect to each other, said means comprising a dial member rotatably mounted in the frame, each of said blades having a recess within which said dial member is received and a projection in the intermediate portion of said recess, said dial member having a recess extending across the face thereof adjajcent the blades within which said projections are received, and means for holding said dial in various rotative positions.

4. An abrasive tool as in claim 2 wherein the recess in the dial member is of arcuate shape transversely of the tool.

5. An abrasive tool as in claim 2 wherein certain of said blades are held closer to the frame than others thereof by said securing means whereby said blades present a rounded working contour.

6. An abrasive tool as in claim 2 wherein certain of said blades are held closer to the frame than others thereof by said securing means whereby said blades present a convex rounded working contour.

7. An abrasive tool as in claim 5 wherein said dial member is provided with a dome-shaped surface adjacent the nonserrated edges of the blade, and the recess is provided in such dome-shaped surface.

8. An abrasive tool as in claim 5 wherein a backing member is provided in the frame to engage the nonserrated edges of the blades, said backing member having a rounded contour facing the edges of the blades.

9. An abrasive tool comprising a frame member, a

plurality of elongated toothed blades of planar form extending longitudinally of the tool and held flatly together in said member, each of said blades having an open-ended slot extending inwardly from the edge thereof, means secured to the frame and projecting into said slots to attach the blades movably to the frame, and a member movably mounted in the frame member and in engagement with the blades to effect simultaneous movement of each blade relatively to the adjacent blade in its own plane and in a longitudinal direction with respect to the tool and hold the blades in fixed position relatively to each other during use of the tool.

10. An abrasive tool comprising a frame member, a plurality of elongated toothed blades of planar form extending longitudinally of the tool and held flatly together in said member for relative longitudinal movement, and means for adjusting each of said blades in its own plane and in a longitudinal direction with respect to the tool relatively to the adjacent blades and to hold the blades in fixed position relatively to each other during use of the tool, said means comprising a member rotatably mounted in the frame on an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tool, and interengaging means on said member and the blades to effect movement of the blades upon rotation of said last-named member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 855,007 Johnson May 28, 1907 1,035,736 Puppe Aug. 13, 1912 1,273,184 Ramson July 23, 1918 2,493,226 Cole Jan. 3, 1950 2,738,568 Civitelli Mar. 20, 1956 

